Philadelphia goes from road kill in December to champs in June

May 29, 2010

You've got to love the ''us against the world'' scenario that so many sports team conjure up to use as motivation.

In the case of the Philadelphia Flyers, who kick off the best-of-7 Stanley Cup finals tonight in Chicago, there's no conjuring necessary. The Blackhawks are a prohibitive favorite to win their first drink out of Lord Stanley's Cup since 1961 and leave the shelves bone dry in Philadelphia for the 35th year.

The Blackhawks finished with the third-most points in the NHL. Patrick Kane was 10th in scoring (30 goals, 58 assists) while no Flyer made the top 25. Chicago's Duncan Keith (14 goals, 55 assists) was second in scoring among all defensemen. Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi was fourth overall in goals against average at 2.25.

Hockey experts and writers around the country are lining up to give Chicago the seal of approval as the next predicted winner of the Stanley Cup.

There's just one problem: the Philadelphia Flyers.

''We have a group of guys in that room that no matter what happens, they never give up,'' said Flyers center Jeff Carter, who came back from a broken foot suffered in the opening-round win over New Jersey to play in the final two games of the Montreal series. ''I think we've seen that come to the forefront in these playoffs here. It's a pretty amazing thing to be a part of.''

To say this Flyers team is special is an understatement. They've risen from No. 29 out of 30 in the standings in December to the Stanley Cup finals. They've come back from down 3-0 in a series and 3-0 in the Game 7. They've survived injuries to three goalies to ride the back of one who never had any NHL playoff experience in his five previous NHL seasons.

They've had Carter come back from two broken feet. They've seen Simon Gagne come back from a broken toe to score a game-winner in overtime and a series-clincher, both against Boston.

They've seen Ian Laperriere, a journeyman specialty teams star, block shot after shot by sliding his body in front of the shooter, taking pucks in the face to lose teeth and suffer a brain contusion. And they've seen him come back to do the same type of slides the last two games.

They've seen themselves lose 14 of 17 games, get a coach fired and lose eight of Peter Laviolette's first 10 games as coach -- only to edge their way into the playoffs during a shootout win on the final day of the regular season.

They've taken a city and a region that viewed them as road kill in December and taught them to embrace them in April, May and, in a few days, June.

''I don't consider us underdogs,'' said team captain Mike Richards, who proudly held up the Prince of Wales Trophy given to the winners of the Eastern Conference, superstition be damned. ''I know what this group is capable of, and how they're capable of playing. Obviously our year wasn't the same as [Chicago's] with the whirlwind ups and downs and the roller coaster that we went on this year. ÃÂÃÂ I think, overall, we have a similar team, a lot of depth, good defense, goaltending that we trust. If you look on paper, I think it's a similar lineup on both sides.''

But the Blackhawks are considered the faster of the teams. This isn't your father's NHL, anymore. Speed does kill.

To me, however, the NHL playoffs are all about heart and desire. The Blackhawks obviously have it, but I haven't seen a Flyers team with this passion, this resolve, this mix of veterans and younger players since 1987, when rookie goalie Ron Hextall, power play specialist Tim Kerr, forwards Brian Propp, Dave Poulin, youngsters Peter Zezel and Rick Tocchet, defensemen Mark Howe, Brad McCrimmon, Brad Marsh and Kjell Samuelsson came within one game of beating the Edmonton Oilers, perhaps the best team in the history of the NHL, in their finals run.

The 1997 Flyers team that got swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the finals doesn't even come close to this 2010 version. Watching goalie Michael Leighton perform magic in the playoffs has been astounding. He doesn't let rebounds lay around. He sends shots off his blocker, directing them away from the net. He doesn't need much of a kicking motion to do the same thing with his leg pads, which keep his feet in good position. He doesn't flop or save pucks off his head. He squares up and is fundamentally sound, relying on his defense to keep shooters visible.

Laperriere is fearless, perhaps foolishly so, but that's what endears him to the fans who demand the warrior mentality in their Flyers. Gagne regained a page from his youth the past two series. Danny Briere continues to shine, and the stakes are so much higher now. Chris Pronger is an absolute beast. Younger players such as Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk are contributing.

The difference between these Flyers and the 1997 team is that these Flyers roll four productive lines while the 1997 team rolled just one. The difference between these Flyers and the 1987 team is that these Flyers aren't facing a team that included Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jarri Kuri, Paul Coffey, Esa Tikkanen, Craig MacTavish, Kevin Lowe and Grant Fuhr.

Without a doubt, these Flyers are playing at the same level as the 1987 Stanley Cup finalists. Most hockey experts are predicting Chicago, but I disagree.